Card inverting apparatus



Nov. 29, 196 w. THOMF'ESON CARD INVERTING APPARATUS Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTOR,

ROBERT W. THOMPSON Q ATTORNEYS United States Patent York Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 435,856 4 Claims. (Cl. 271-65) This invention relates to apparatus for selectively inverting data processing cards or the like on a moving conveyor belt system.

Data processing cards are currently being used to store information in the form of reproductions or facsimilies of the original material. Images are placed directly on the cards by xerographic techniques and the cards used to reproduce copies of the original material. For example, optical images of documents, correspondence or engineering drawings may be reduced in size and xerographically printed on a portion of a data processing card. A machine suitable for such purposes is shown in copending application Serial No. 436,168, filed March 1, 1965. The cards containing xerographic images may either be stored or used to make copies of the original document. In this type of apparatus cards are handled by continuous belt conveyor systems which usually utilize a vacuum or electrostatic forces to hold the cards on the conveyor belts; thus, eliminating as much as possible rollers which would run across the images on the card surface.

During transportation of the card on the belt conveyor, it is often desirable to invert selected cards for control purposes, or to invert all cards for purposes of maintaining their original order.

It is common in the use of data processing cards to have one corner of the cards out so that selected cards may be inverted to provide a visual indication or control of the card stack. If a numerical count of the cards was desired, a card would be inverted at numerical increments so that by visual inspection of the cut corners of the cards, the number of cards could be determined.

As in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in the above-cited copending application Serial No. 436,168, the cards being duplicated are lfed from the bottom of the stack past a scanning station and the duplicated cards, after being printed with a xerographic image, are stacked in a receiving hopper with the image face down. In order to maintain the final stack in the same order as the original stack, it is necessary to invert each card before it reaches the receiving hopper.

The primary object of this invention is to selectively invert data processing cards or the like while moving on a conveyor belt system;

It is a further object of this invention to improve card conveyor systems to permit cards or the like to be inverted while moving on the conveyor system;

Referring to the figures, there is seen a conveyor belt system, generally indicated as 10, which is used to transport data processing cards. The data processing cards are generally indicated as throughout the drawings. The conveyor system is driven by any suitable means, not shown, and the cards are held on individual belts 14 of the conveyor by means of a suction manifold 16 beneath the belts and having openings 18 between each of the belts 14.

The manifold 16 is suspended from a pair of side frames 20 which also support the conveyor rollers. One conveyor roller 22 is shown mounted in bearings 24, suspended from the side frame 20. The belts 14 are guided around the roller 22 so that the cards 12 are dropped off the end of the conveyor and the belts 14 are directed back to form a continuous belt system.

The manifold 16 is connected to a suitable vacuum source, not shown, which draws air in the openings 18 and holds the card 12 onto the belts 14.

A shaft 26 extends across the conveyor 10 at a point just at the end of the manifold 16. The shaft 26 is rotatably journaled in a pair of brackets '28, mounted on the side frames 20, and has a series of resilient rollers 30 spaced along the shaft in contact with each of the belts 14 so that the belts 14 rotate the rollers 30 on the shaft 26. The rollers 30 force a card 12 into driving contact with the belts 14. Therefore, the card is held in contact with the conveyor belts by the rollers 30 when the card passes off the manifold 16.

There is a shaft 32 rotatably journaled in the brackets 28 beneath the shaft 26 and beneath the conveyor belts 14. The shaft 32 extends across the conveyor system and beyond the bracket 28 on one side of the conveyor. A rotary solenoid SOL-1 is mounted on a bracket 34 and operatively connected to shaft 32 so that upon actuation it rotates shaft 32. A series of flipper fingers 36 are secured to and extend out from the shaft 32 at points between the belts 14. Rotation of the shaft 32 by the solenoid SOL-1 moves the fingers 36 between the solid line and the dotted line positions, as shown in FIG. 2. Operation of the solenoid SOL1 is controlled by a switch 38 positioned beneath the belts 14. The actuating arm 40 of the switch 38 extends upward terminating in a small roller 42 between the idler rollers 30. The small roller 42 is slightly above the top surface of the belts 14 so that a card 12 on the belts passing beneath the rollers 30 will depress the actuating arm 40- and actuate switch 38. With switch 38 actuated, the rotary solenoid SOL-1 rotates the shaft 32 so that the flipper fingers 36 are in the position shown in the dotted lines of FIG. 2 and in the position shown in FIG. 1. When the card 12 has passed from beneath the roller 30, the actuating arm 40 returns to its original position de-actuating switch 38 and cutting off solenoid SOL-1. The flipper arms 36 then return to the original position beneath the surface of the belts 14. as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2.

A card support plate 44 is mounted above the conveyor system 10 by means of brackets 46 also supported from the side frames 20. The support plate 44 has a series of indentations 48 cut into the lower edge at positions corresponding to each of the flipper arms 36. In the elevated position, the flipper arms extend into the indentations 48, thereby preventing a card sliding up the flipper arms 36 from being caught on the lower edge of the card support plate 44. The actual inverting or flipping of a card on the conveyor system is shown schematically in FIGS. 35. A card 12 moving along the conveyor system passes beneath the rollers 30 and actuates switch 38. The solenoid SOL-1 is energized upon the closing of switch 38 and rotates the shaft 32 so that the flipper arms 36 are brought upwards into the indentations 48 of the plate 44. The card is then forced forward by conveyor belt 14 and the idler roller 30 so that the leading edge moves up the flipper arms 36 onto the plate 44. The plate 44 is inclined slightly so that the card may continue upward without producing a sharp bend at roller 30. When the card 12 has reached the position shown in FIG. 3, the actuating arm 40 of switch 38 is released deenergizing the solenoid SOL- 1. The flipper arms 36 return to the position shown in FIG. 4 beneath the surface of the belts and the bottom edge of the card 12 is carried forward by the belts 14 by friction contact. In this position, the top of the card is supported by the plate 44 and the bottom of the card is moved by the belt 14 to a position beneath the top of the card. When the card reaches the position shown in FIG. 5, the card 12 flips over backwards onto the surface of the belt 14; thus, the card has been inverted. When the next card reaches the roller 30, the switch 38 is again actuated J9 and the flipper arms are elevated into the indentations 48 in the plate 44, repeating the process.

The switch 38 and solenoid SOL1 may be electrically connected so that actuation of the switch 38 will not necessarily energize solenoid SOL-1 thereby permitting cards to continue on the conveyor belt without being flipped or inverted. Also suitable counting devices may be included to count the number of times that switch 38 is actuated and to energize solenoid SOL1 at preset numbers of actuations of switch 38. Thus, either selected cards may be individually inverted or all cards may be inverted.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set'forth, and this application is intended to cover such modification or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims.

. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for inverting cards being carried through a path of movement on a moving conveyor system, includmg a plurality of finger-like members movable between a first position wherein the members extend through the path of movement of a card on the conveyor to deflect the leading edge of the card upwards away from the conveyor, and a second position wherein the finger-like members are withdrawn from the path of movement of a card on the conveyor,

support means mounted above the conveyor to support the leading edge of a card deflected upwards away from the conveyor by the finger-like members while the trailing edge of the card is carried forward by the conveyor,

and control means, responsive to the presence of the card which is to be inverted, to control the movement of the finger-like members from the second to the first positon and to maintain said finger-like members in said first position until the leading edge of the card is in contact with said support means to thereby deflect the leading edge of the card onto the support means so that the trailing edge of the card may be carried beneath the deflected leading edge for the inversion of the card as the card moves along the conveyor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means to support the leading edge of the card above the conveyor consists of a member extending across the conveyor and having notched portions to receive the finger-like members when the finger-like members are in the first position.

3. Apparatus-for selectively inverting cards while moving on a belt conveyor system of the type having a plurality of spaced parallel belts including a plurality of substantially parallel card flipper fingers secured at one end to a shaft rotatably journaled beneath the surface of the conveyor belts and positioned along the shaft to correspond to spaces between belts,

control means actuated in response to a card to be inverted to rotate the shaft between a first position wherein the flipper fingers extend from the shaft to a point above the conveyor to deflect the leading edge of a card upward away from the conveyor, and a second position wherein the flipper fingers are below the surface of the conveyor,

and a stationary card support plate mounted above and extending across the conveyor in a position to contact the flipper fingers when the flipper fingers are in the first position and receive and support the leading edge of a card deflected upwards by the flipper fingers as the conveyor carries the trailing edge of the card forward beneath the leading edge, the control means further being adapted to maintain said flipper fingers in said first position until the leading edge of the card is in contact with said support plate.

4. The apparatus of claim -3 wherein the means to rotate the shaft may be manually energized to invert selected cards.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,259 1/1954 Parker 19833 FOREIGN PATENTS 511,717 11/1930 Germany. 929,480 6/ 1963 Great Britain.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

J. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR INVERTING CARDS BEING CARRIED THROUGH A PATH OF MOVEMENT ON A MOVING CONVEYOR SYSTEM, INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF FINGER-LIKE MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN THE MEMBERS EXTEND THROUGH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A CARD ON THE CONVEYOR TO DEFLECT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CARD UPWARDS AWAY FROM THE CONVEYOR, AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN THE FINGER-LIKE MEMBERS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A CARD ON THE CONVEYOR, SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE THE CONVEYOR TO SUPPORT THE LEADING EDGE OF A CARD DEFLECTED UPWARDS AWAY FROM THE CONVEYOR BY THE FINGER-LIKE MEMBERS WHILE THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE CARD IS CARRIED FORWARD BY THE CONVEYOR, AND CONTROL MEANS, RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE CARD WHICH IS TO BE INVERTED, TO CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF THE FINGER-LIKE MEMBERS FROM THE SECOND TO THE FIRST POSITION AND TO MAINTAIN SAID FINGER-LIKE MEMBERS IN SAID FIRST POSITION UNTIL THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CARD IS IN CONTACT WITH SAID SUPPORT MEANS TO THEREBY DEFLECT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CARD ONTO THE SUPPORT MEANS SO THAT THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE CARD MAY BE CARRIED BENEATH THE DEFLECTED LEDING EDGE FOR THE INVERSION OF THE CARD AS THE CARD MOVES ALONG THE CONVEYOR. 